


Part 3: The Truth

by WayfinderGal



Series: Hearts of Light and Darkness [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Cliffhangers, Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Game: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Spoilers, Kingdom Hearts References, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Not Canon Compliant - Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24911956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayfinderGal/pseuds/WayfinderGal
Summary: After going to different worlds, the six friends finally found out the sole reasons for their whole journey: untold truths and destiny. Their next reunion was inevitable, but their determination to change fate was unwavering. Will their hearts guide them to victory in the battle to come? Or will destiny have something else in store for them?
Relationships: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Character(s), Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s), Terra (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Character(s), Terra (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Male Character(s), Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Character(s), Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s), Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Character(s), Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Hearts of Light and Darkness [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669273
Kudos: 2





	1. Off to Find Treasure!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! WayfinderGal here to welcome you to Part 3 of this series!
> 
> Things are gonna get serious real fast... So I hope you're all ready for what's yet to come. It's not so simple and clean... Oh how the plot thickens>.<
> 
> Happy reading! And may your heart be your guiding key<3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction has many scenes that happen in the actual Kingdom Hearts Dark Seeker Saga. But the creation of some scenes, personal characters, and added/altered dialogue were created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor Final Fantasy. The characters, the majority of the plot, and so on, belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**Terra’s POV**

Ezra and I managed to reach the next world, which seemed to be a large island surrounded by water. It looked rather calm and peaceful. It’d be bad if the Unversed were here, too. But given the current situation in all of the worlds we’ve visited… it’s more likely to find some around here.

“Something on your mind?” Ezra said, glancing at me.

“Everywhere we go, there’s more Unversed. And not only that… I feel that they're getting stronger, too,” before shaking my head. “We need to find Vanitas before this gets way out of hand.”

“Easier said than done,” Ezra said. “Vanitas is as cunning as they come, so finding him out of the blue may be a challenge. But who's to say fighting won’t lead us to him?”

Moments after Ezra finished that sentence, we heard people shouting in fear. Running towards a larger area, we managed to see what was going on: it looked like a captain and one of his crew members were trying to protect some chest from the Unversed.

“What are they, Cap’n?” The ship member asked in a fright.

“Back! You’ll not get me treasure!” The captain said to the Unversed surrounding them, moving his sword around.

“Leave ‘em to us!” I exclaimed, running towards the Unversed before summoning my keyblade.

With that said, the two civilians ran off, leaving the chest behind.

“After this, we should be one step closer,” Ezra said, summoning his keyblade.

I nodded at him, before we began to quickly attack the Unversed, eliminating the smaller ones and then working on the larger ones that came our way. It was only a matter of time before finishing the job.

“If I’d desired your assistance, I’d have demanded it,” the captain said, approaching us with his crew member. “We had the situation under control. Isn’t that right, Smee?”

“Oh yes, Cap’n. Completely. We would’ve cleaved those fiends to the brisket, we would,” Smee agreed, before showing off some sort of fighting technique. “Why, I’d have given ‘em a little of THIS— and THIS—”

“And don’t think your collaborative efforts mean you’ll both get a share of me treasure,” the captain continued on. “Understand?”

“We’re not after your precious box, Captain,” Ezra said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“We’re looking for a person,” I added on, since it never hurts to ask. “A boy, wearing a mask. Ring any bells?”

“No, not a one,” the captain said as he turned his back to us and walked away.

“Figures,” Ezra said, a hand to his hip. “Especially with that attitude of his.”

I then looked down in thought, a hand to my chin. ‘Guess we should keep looking around.’

“Smee! Ye blithering barnacle! We’re off,” the captain ordered. “We shall leave this place before the light draws ‘em back again.”

Wait, what?

I looked towards the captain. “Hey, hold on. What did you just say about the light?”

It took the captain a good second before he decided to leisurely walk towards us again. “Ah yes, it’s heartbreaking really… This chest, you see, contains light gathered from all around. And I got an acquaintance— a boy— who’s sure to try and seize it.”

“Really?” Ezra said, raising a brow in an incredulous manner. “There’s a boy who’s after the light that’s inside that tiny chest?”

I began to ponder. “If it’s not Vanitas… then who?”

Ezra then pulled me to the side. “Terra, are you actually buying this?”

“It could be a lead,” I commented.

“Or a scam,” Ezra argued.

“We should see where this leads, okay?” I said. “I feel that we shouldn’t take our chances.”

Ezra just looked at me, before he sighed. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I then turned towards the captain. “Hey, why don’t we help you keep the light safe? Maybe you could tell me more about this boy who’s troubling you. What’s his name?”

The captain then showed a face filled with hatred. “Peter Pan.”

We were then told that the chest must be brought safely to Skull Rock, which was an island that was close by, and to make sure that Peter Pan kept his hands to himself. They also said that they’d meet us at the location and wouldn’t be accompanying us.

Good thing Ezra was here with me, otherwise I would have had to carry this chest by myself. It was unusually heavy for its size.

As we traveled to the destination, Ezra didn’t say a word, which I found rather strange. I could only hear our footsteps as we carried the chest across the main island, and the sound of splashing water and the sea breeze as we took the boat that could take us to Skull Rock.

Besides this being a possible lead, I feel that protecting the light should be the right thing to do… But then there’s Ezra thinking that the captain may be lying. Even if this is some sort of scam, shouldn’t we prevent any potential harm to the light? Even if it’s just a precaution?

Moments later, we arrived at Skull Rock and took the chest into the island’s main cave, where the captain and his crew member were waiting for us.

Placing the chest near the end of the cave, the captain looked at us approvingly. “Well done.”

I then walked off to a side of the cave with Ezra, who had his arms crossed.

“Something on your mind?” I asked, wanting to break the ice.

Ezra just shook his head, refusing to look at me. “I feel that you’re making a mistake.”

“But what if I’m not?” I asked.

“Terra, I can tell that’s just a plain, old chest,” Ezra continued on, his gaze shifting to meet mine. “That grubby old pirate is obviously tricking you.”

“Doing what he says may lead us closer to Vanitas,” I said, trying to persuade him.

Ezra remained silent for a moment. It looked like he wanted to say something else, but he was cut short due to some footsteps approaching us. Turning around, we noticed it was the captain. Apparently he needed to attend to some business, so he wanted to entrust us with keeping the chest safe. After I gave him the okay and told him we’d be waiting for Peter Pan’s arrival, the two pirates went ahead and left, leaving Ezra and I alone with the chest.

We were quiet for the most part, but Ezra’s sigh broke that silence abruptly. “Lead or not, I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“Ezra...” I didn’t know what else to say. Ezra was just having my back like he promised and I just shrugged it off… I should—

Just then, we heard something woosh by the cave, making us stand our ground in high alert. A boy in green then came into view.

“Are you Peter Pan?” I said, summoning my keyblade. Looks like the captain was right about him. “The light is not yours to take!”

I heard Ezra summoning his keyblade as well, giving me a slight nod.

We then went over and fought Peter Pan, one-on-two. Him flying around made it a bit difficult to land a proper attack, but the timing between his close-ranged attacks made him vulnerable.

It was after I blocked one of his attacks that the three of us stood our grounds, keeping a safe distance from each other to prevent any upcoming attack. “What do you want with the light?”

“Light?” Peter Pan asked. “What light?”

“Look, Pan! We got the chest!” We heard a little boy shout.

Looking to where the chest was, we saw two little boys carrying the chest away.

“No, not yet, you blockheads!” Peter Pan shouted.

“Hey!” I yelled, running after them.

The two boys just picked up the pace and started to run themselves. But the one at the front tripped, making the other little boy and the chest fall to the ground. And it seems like the impact caused the chest to spill... a large amount of gold and jewels?

“Now, what is this?” I questioned, approaching the chest as the two little boys complained about the fall.

“Pirate treasure, o’ course. Jewels, doubloons— ya know, the usual stuff,” Peter Pan explained.

I couldn’t believe my ears. “I’ve been guarding a pile of loot?”

“Sounds like you’ve been tricked,” Peter Pan said.

Looking to the side, I noticed Ezra had walked up next to me, a hand to his hip. “I warned you.”

“I’ll say,” I agreed in defeat.

I turned towards Peter Pan with a frown. “I owe you an apology. I picked a fight over nothing.”

“And I followed along,” Ezra said, turning towards Peter Pan as well. “So I apologize as well.”

“Aw, it was all in good fun,” Peter Pan smiled, crossing his arms. “Not every day I get to fight such a good swordsman. And two at that. Say, what’re your names, anyway?”

“Terra.”

“Name’s Ezra.”

With introductions out of the way, Peter Pan asked about the captain’s whereabouts. I told him about a shooting star that they were mentioning a while back. Kinda hard not to overhear them, since the two pirates were already talking loudly to begin with.

It was then that Peter Pan panicked, saying something about a Tinker Bell being in danger. He then flew off, telling the two little boys to guard the treasure with their lives. The two just agreed and cheered Peter Pan on.

“We should be on our way,” I said, looking over to Ezra, who nodded at my statement.

We then began to leave, side by side. It was after we reached the outside of the cave that I spoke up, stopping in my tracks. “I also owe you an apology. You were just trying to be a good friend, and I didn’t listen.”

Ezra had walked a few more steps than me before stopping as well. He then turned to face me, his arms crossed against his chest. “Apology accepted. You should be more cautious next time…”

“I know,” I said. “I should have thought things through more.”

Ezra looked down. “Though I have to admit… You openly trusting and helping people despite their possible facade… and feeling as if they have some sort of goodness in them before assuming otherwise… In part, that could be a trait that could lead to your downfall.”

“But...” Ezra continued, looking at me with a soft smile. “It’s not all bad. If we exclude all the negatives, it’s actually a really good trait to have. I’m a bit envious.”

I then thought of an idea. “Since both of us want to gain a trait that we lack, how about we learn from one another? You learn from me and I’ll learn from you. It’ll be as if we’re completing each other.”

A surprising sight then unfolded before me: Ezra’s eyes had widened slightly and his face turned a light shade of pink. He then brought a fist to his lips, clearing his throat slightly as he averted his gaze from me. Did I say something that—?

It was my turn to feel my face flush. “Sorry, that sounded way different in my head for some reason.”

Ezra just lowered his hand to his side and laughed it off, his cheeks still pink. “It’s okay, I really didn’t mind it. To be honest, people rarely manage to catch me off guard like that. It’s refreshing.”

Suddenly, we heard an explosion coming from the inside of the cave, making us jump in alert. We then heard a cry for help. Without much thought, Ezra and I ran towards the cave once again. And inside we saw the two little boys from before running away from many jellyfish-like Unversed.

“Unversed!” I shouted, summoning my keyblade.

“Stay back!” Ezra added, summoning his keyblade as well.

We then began eliminating the Unversed in bunches, since they were rather weak. So it was only a matter of time before we cleared them out.

“Boy, you sure cut that monster down to size!” One of the little boys said.

Ezra and I then turned our heads to glance at them, but our attention went back towards the exit. Someone must be coming back.

It was after Ezra shushed them that the captain’s voice resonated through the cave. “Ahoy! How fare ye, lads?”

“Hook!” The little boys exclaimed silently.

“Go hide,” I said to them in a serious tone.

After they ran off, I raised my voice so that Hook could hear me. “Fine. All’s well.”

Seconds later, Hook casually walked into the cave with a lamp on his hand.

“What’s that you got there?” Ezra asked after Hook stood before us.

“Tinker Bell,” Hook answered, showing off the fairy inside his lamp. “One of Peter Pan’s dearest friends.”

“Can I take a look?” I asked.

Hook gladly obliged, handing me the lamp. He then turned his back to us.

I looked over to Ezra, and he silently nodded.

“So long as I have his precious pixie, Pan’s demise is all but assured,” Hook rambled on, before he noticed Tinker Bell flying in front of his face. She then went ahead and kicked him in the face, making him fall flat on the ground.

Ezra stifled a laugh. “Serves you right.”

Standing up quickly, he fumed at us. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“You know, I didn’t give it that much thought. Just doing what my heart tells me,” I said casually.

“That’s mutiny! And you’ll both walk the plank for it!” Hook continued on.

Ezra and I then summoned our keyblades to defend ourselves. But the ticking sound of a clock made Hook’s face grow pale.

“That sound!” Hook said in an alerted tone, turning slowly towards the noise in fear. 

Looking over to the direction of the sound as well, we noticed it was a crocodile that was eyeing Hook. And apparently the appearance of this crocodile was enough to send him running away at full speed.

“Hooray! We sure showed Hook this time!” One of the little boys said as he and his friend ran towards the exit of the cave.

Suddenly, countless bright sparkles started falling over us. Funny… It reminds me of the time the six of us were looking at the stars together that night...

“Looks like Tinker Bell is thanking us,” Ezra chuckled, marveling at the sight, before I felt his gaze on me.

I turned to him with a smile, seeing that he was smiling too. “Yeah.”

I then saw Ezra cock his head to the side, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Huh…”

“What is it?” I asked, curious myself.

He shook his head with closed eyes, a small smile on his face. “It’s nothing.”

It was brief but, when Ezra opened his eyes, I noticed a gentle sparkle to them. And his smile was more fond than soft. I wonder why?

“Aww, so much for the pirate treasures…” We heard one of the little boys say, which made us turn to face them.

“Did you guys really want the jewels and gold that badly?” I asked.

“Nah, we don’t care about that stuff,” one of them said.

“Uh… but, uh, Pan was countin’ on us,” the other one added.

“I’ll tell ya what—” I began to say, kneeling down and putting a hand on one of the little boy’s shoulders. “Put the stuff that’s really special to you in there. That can be your treasure.”

“Yeah!” Both of them exclaimed.

With a thanks on their part, they turned and left the cave with their treasure chest.

“Kind of makes me wonder… what I’d put in there,” I contemplated.

“You and me both,” Ezra commented, before we started to walk towards the exit. When we reached the outside of the cave, Ezra spoke up, a smile on his face. “About earlier, Terra: let’s work hard together.”

I smiled at him, before giving him a slight nod.

After setting this agreement, we decided to leave the world behind.

* * *

**Aqua’s POV**

We made it to some Indian camp in another world. Strange enough, there was a roll of parchment on the ground near a tipi.

“I wonder what’s that…” I heard Stellae say.

“Let’s find out,” I said, before picking it up.

Seconds after picking up the roll, we heard some sad responses. It was two boys in animal costumes.

“We were so close,” one of them said. He had a fox costume on, while the other boy had a bear costume.

“Too bad, men,” a voice said. “Tough beak.”

A ginger-haired boy then flew down to us.

“But Pan!” the two boys complained.

“No buts. You know the rules. The first one to find and claim the treasure map… gets to be the leader. And that’s you,” Pan said.

“Leader?” I asked, confused.

“Of the expatition!” The ginger-headed boy said.

“Uhh, we’re goin’ on a treasure hunt. And that’s our map you got!” The boy with the bear costume said.

A fairy with blonde hair and a bright green dress flew up to Pan.

“Whaddaya mean? I never said girls can’t be part of the gang. C’mon, Tink, the more the merrier!” Pan said.

“I’m sorry, but we have something else we need to take care of,” Stellae said, looking over to me.

I nodded, as I extended the map towards the boys for them to take. “Yes. Here, you keep it.”

Tink just shook her head.

“Too bad… But rules are rules,” Pan commented, making Tink get mad at him. “I guess we’ll just have to call off the treasure hunt.”

“Nooo!” The other two boys said in rejection.

Stellae sighed and turned to me. “Want to humor them?”

I sighed, and looked over to the boys. “All right, you win. We’ll join you for one “expatition”.”

“Whoopee!’ The two boys cheered.

I then opened the map and examined it. “As far as I can tell, we’re here. And this mark here is where we’ll find the treasure.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Stellae said, looking over at the map with me.

“Enough pointin’,” the boy with the fox costume said. “C’mon, let’s go!”

“Wait a second,” the ginger-haired boy said. “We still don’t even know our leader’s name! Or our new mate’s name either! I’m Peter Pan. The jealous one over here is Tinker Bell. And you two are?”

“Aqua,” I said.

“Stellae.”

“So you’re Aqua and Stellae!” Peter Pan said.

“Huh?” I said, confused.

“How do you—“ I heard Stellae say, but she was cut short.

“Now, first stop— Mermaid Lagoon!” Pan said.

“Oh, okay,” I said, a bit baffled. How does he know who we are?

He then flew off.

“Let’s go, then,” Stellae said. “Treasure isn't found by itself.”

“All right,” I said.

We all walked over to Mermaid Lagoon. Just when we were passing by, we saw a man that appeared to be a pirate captain. “I have you now, Peter Pan! Today’s the day I shall be rid of you forever!”

“I’m busy right now, Hook,” Peter Pan said. “We’re on an expatition. Can’t I show you up some other day?”

“You’ll show me up now!” The captain said. “Give back me treasure!”

“Who’s that?” I asked.

“Aw, that’s just Captain Hook,” Peter Pan explained. “He’s a two-bit pirate codfish.”

“I’ll cleave you into two bits, boy! Smee!” Captain Hook shouted, before running off.

We all continued through Mermaid Lagoon, when all of a sudden a cannon ball landed behind us. My eyes widened. “We’re sitting ducks out here. Run!”

Everyone ran off in the same direction. We ended up in an area with some high mountain walls.

“What is it?” Stellae asked the boys, who were looking up.

“The mark on the map points all the way up there,” the boy with the bear costume said.

I then looked up. A cliff, huh?

“Aww, relax,” Peter Pan said. “A little pixie dust, and we’ll be there in a jiffy.”

“But… we’ve never had to flied that high before!” The boy continued.

“What if we fall?” The other boy said, worried.

“Hey, when did you two turn into cowards?” Pan said.

“Don’t you think you’re asking a bit much of them?” I asked Peter Pan. They’re really young… He should really consider that.

“They’re just kids,” Stellae told him.

“This is between me and them, Aqua and Stellae. Men, only the bravest of the brave can claim that treasure,” Peter said.

“Yeah, we know…” The bear-costumed boy said.

“Tink, if you would. We haven’t got all day!” Peter Pan said.

Tinker Bell then flew up the cliff, leaving a trail of pixie dust for all of us to fly up with. That’s actually a very convenient method to get up there.

Once we made it up, we walked around but stopped at a certain point.

“Hey, aren’t we back where we started?” I asked, quite confused.

“Ya mean we went all the way around Neverland for nothin’?” The fox-costumed boy asked, disappointed.

“Well, ya conquered all sorts of obstacles to get here,” Peter said. “And to me, that’s certainly not nothin’.”

“You know, I had you all wrong,” Stellae said. “You were just looking out for them back there.”

“Being a good leader,” I added.

“Yeah, of course I was,” Pan said.

Well that was an… Interesting response.

“You’re too late, Peter Pan! I’ll be taking what’s mine now,” Captain Hook said, atop of some cliff nearby with a treasure chest and another pirate next to him.

“It’s Hook!” Peter Pan said.

“Smee, secure me treasure,” Hook said to the other pirate.

“Aye-aye, Cap’n!” Smee said, before opening the treasure chest. The pirate’s eyes widened in shock.

“What is it now?” The captain said, annoyed.

“C-Cap’n, it’s the treasure. It’s b-been…”

“Spit it out, you idiot!” Hook exclaimed.

Captain Hook then looked into the chest. “Odd’s fish! It’s all junk!”

Junk? What does he—?

“Whaddaya mean, junk?” Pan asked, offended. “Those are our treasures, Hook!”

“But what did you do with MY treasure?” Hook asked with concern.

“Oh we losted it all,” the boy dressed as a bear said.

“You what!? You scurvy brats have crossed me for the last time!” Captain Hook threatened. But the ticking sound that sounded afterwards made him panic. “Hmm? What’s that? That sound…”

Looking around, he managed to see something that made him panic even more. Is that a… crocodile? “Not you again! No, get away from me! Smee! Do something! Smee!”

The captain then ran off into the jungle.

“Wait, Cap’n!” Smee shouted, before running after Hook.

I couldn't help but laugh at the whole scene. Even everyone else found it funny that a crocodile got the better of him.

When we retrieved the treasure chest, I saw an item that I never thought I’d see there. “Is this…”

“Well what have we here…?” Stellae asked, amused at the same sight I was seeing.

“Oh, Ventus left that here. I guess it’s a special keepsake or somethin’. But don’t worry about him. He said he would be all right without it. And then he promised to visit us again with better treasures— maybe enough to fill a hundred treasure chests,” Peter explained.

“Ven… He was here…” I said.

“And someone else,” Stellae said. “My readings are slightly better and less painful right now but… All’s not perfect. I do sense danger nearby.”

“What’s the matter?” The boy dressed as a bear asked in concern.

“It’s nothing,” Stellae clarified. “Best that you stay here.”

“I’ll go check things out,” I said. “Stellae, go take everyone someplace safe.”

“But—“ Stellae started saying, but I stopped her.

“I’m pretty sure about “who” the danger is and I need to settle things with him,” I alerted. “He’s not someone to be careless about. Him being loose already is dangerous enough.”

“I know…” Stellae said, looking down. “But us fighting him together can increase our chances of beating him more quickly.”

I then began to walk away. I want her to help but… I don't want to risk her safety. “Just trust me on this, Stellae. I’ll come find you when the battle is over.”

“… I understand.”

I then headed towards the Indian Camp, wanting to settle things once and for all.

* * *

**Vanitas’s POV**

Damn, training her hasn’t gotten any better. I thought she learned a thing or two after I took down that mouse earlier… I sent out so many Unversed, but she's not showing her full true potential yet. It’s really annoying at this point. At least she's healing during battle more quickly. I guess that's a good sign.

"Put your back into it," I shouted. "Unversed aren't gonna go away by themselves."

"Yeah, yeah," Kira said, trying to fight the Unversed faster.

"I know that mouse is on your mind. Get that out of your head and train.”

"It's not everyday that you get to see a friend's friend get beaten up. Oh wait, it kinda seems like it IS everyday."

I sighed, making the Unversed disappear again. "Stop for now."

"Huh? Why? I thought you said no stopping," she said, clearly out of breath.

"I have a schedule here. Hide inside that barrel," I said, pointing to one of the opened barrels. It had a lid on the side. "Now."

She didn’t say a word, she just walked towards the barrel and got inside it. Before she used the wooden lid to close it, she glared at me. I shooed her with my hand. She just rolled her eyes at me and closed the barrel.

"What a pain," I said, waiting for my prey as I grabbed a wooden keyblade that I picked up recently from a chest that I found not so long ago. Oh Ventus, leaving keepsakes unattended is a bad decision on your part.

As expected, she got here on time.

"So, have a good time hanging out with the kiddies?" I said.

"How'd you get that?" Aqua said, getting defensive.

"I think that kid's outgrown such a childish toy, if you ask my opinion."

I snapped the keyblade and threw the pieces aside. No need for that kid toy. I summoned my own keyblade and took a fighting stance. "Just like I've outgrown my need for you."

Aqua looked beyond mad. "You freak!"

Someone already beat you to that one. And Ventus is strong enough, so I don't really need her anymore. She can just perish for all I care.

We fought. I tried hitting her with my most deadliest attacks. Somehow she missed them and was only hit by a few. Usually I'm on-point with these attacks. She's never seen them before but from the looks of things, she knows what my strategy is. No wonder she beat me last time.

She hit me for a moment, and all of a sudden, I felt weak. I collapsed on the floor and my keyblade flew off somewhere. Me? Weak? As if. The only thing I remembered was Aqua falling to her knees on the spot. She might have beaten me now, but damn. Can't she stand on her own two feet?

After that, all is a blur.

* * *

**Kira’s POV**

I heard Aqua and Vanitas fighting after some dialogue and a snap. What was that noise? Anyways, after a while the clings and hits of their keyblades stopped and I heard a thud.

So… Who won?

"I've done it… He's… finally… finished…" I heard Aqua say, out of breath.

Wait, does that mean… Vanitas is…

I heard another thud.

"Ven, Terra, Akari… Stellae… you can rest easy," Aqua continued. All was silent after that.

What the heck happened out there?! Did Aqua really end him? I should be glad but… Why does my chest hurt? Maybe it's my heart but… Why is it aching? It can't be because of THAT guy. It… can't be. I hate his guts! He kidnapped me for some reason and treats me like shit! Yet… he’s been more considerate with me during training… and has saved me on a few occasions… Plus, the thought of him dying… it's unsettling. But why? Maybe it's because I care? No… Impossible… That could never happen. Or maybe… I'm just denying my heart? And it is actually what I think it is? Maybe that's it.

I peaked out of the barrel, both wanting to see the battle’s outcome for myself and wanting to understand this feeling better. I knew I expected to see Aqua and Vanitas on the floor, but my eyes widened in shock regardless. Aqua said that she ended him. So… Is he really finished?

I turned my hands into fists. I used to tell myself that what I feel is not real… but when my heart heard my thoughts, it accused me of lying… telling me that there’s a reason why I felt like this. Maybe... it is what I think it is.

Acknowledging that what I felt was real, I could feel my pain sharpen and my emotions getting the better of me. I felt like crying. I felt mad. I felt that someone has taken something very important to me. In this case, my dear friend took the life of some stranger that I'm not supposed to have feelings for. Well… He's not a stranger to me anymore. We can actually tolerate each other for all I know. Can I even consider him an acquaintance? A friend? I don’t even know.

I felt a tear running across my cheek. And the reason for that bitter drop of water was because of that guy who is hopelessly laying on the ground right there. THAT guy. I couldn’t believe I was crying because of him. Yet, here I am.

And the darkness that Vanitas told me about… The darkness that I had to unleash in order for his training to actually mean something to him… I could feel it. I couldn't shake that feeling away… There was dark energy in my heart because of this whole situation.

After leaving the barrel, I didn’t walk towards Vanitas. I ran. I felt the darkness in my heart increase drastically as more tears fell across my face. The pain and hurt in my heart was also becoming sharper and stronger.

I fell to my knees, right next to Vanitas. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew that he didn't have his eyes open. He might never open them again.

I lunged forward and hit the ground with my fists. I screamed, crying even more now. I could feel the dark flames engulf my body. There's no turning back now.

I looked up slightly. "We can't stay here."

Getting up, I grabbed Vanitas and made him stand. I adjusted my grip on him so that he was leaning on me. I had one of his arms around my shoulders, holding this arm’s hand firmly so that he wouldn’t fall. I also had one of my arms around his waist for extra support.

I heard a grunt. It took me by surprise. I didn't expect that to happen… But at least one thing's for sure: Vanitas wasn't dead. He was just unconscious.

I made a dark portal without any effort, a relieved expression on my face. Weird… I'm new at using the darkness… But why did it seem so natural? So… normal?

As we entered the portal, I could have sworn I heard someone call out to me. I chose to ignore it.

* * *

**Stellae’s POV**

Damn it, I should have never left Aqua to fight alone. The stars… they were showing concern for her safety and for… someone else’s? I had to run off after Aqua after she left but why now?! It can’t be destiny… Right?

Reaching the Indian Camp at a fast pace, my eyes widened at the sight before me. Wait, how?! I thought…

“Kira?!” I screamed in alarm, running towards Aqua.

What is she doing here?! She should be back home! And what does she think she’s doing?

The dark portal closed before I got to Aqua. I crouched down to her. “Aqua? Aqua!”

I clenched my fists. “Damn it… Why is this happening?”

I knew I should have helped her with this fight! She wouldn't be like this right now! I didn't want you to get hurt… At all. And then this happened. I should have thought things through more… And figured things out faster.

_Darkness… Destiny… Hurt…_

The signals were a bit harder to read and a bit more painful than earlier… Seriously, what the hell is going on here?

Kira… What happened to you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To start of this part... how about a long Neverland chapter?:) And an interesting one at that!
> 
> Stay tuned for future chapters... cuz stuff is about to go down >.<


	2. To Protect Those Who Matter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction has many scenes that happen in the actual Kingdom Hearts Dark Seeker Saga. But the creation of some scenes, personal characters, and added/altered dialogue were created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor Final Fantasy. The characters, the majority of the plot, and so on, belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**Akari’s POV**

I felt that I flew in space for a while before I made it to some world with a tower. It was filled with trees, bushes, and even flowers, and the tower looked quite magical, to be honest. There were some steps that led to the tower’s door, so I decided to sit on them.

… Ven, I hope you’re okay…

Before I knew it, a light shone brightly in the sky. Wait, why is it moving like that?

The light then struck down on the ground in front of me, causing me to shield my eyes.

When I opened them, I saw the person that I least expected to see.

“Ven?!” I said, surprised at finally seeing him again.

I rapidly went over to him, crouching down to him. He was laying on the ground, groaning slightly with a star shard in his hand. But then when he lifted his face and got a good look at me, his eyes widened.

Seconds later, I was taken into a tight embrace. Wait what’s—?

“Akari, you’re okay…” Ven said, hugging me even tighter.

I then hugged him back after processing what was going on. “I should be saying that to you… You had me worried.”

“Yeah… Looks like we were worrying each other,” he confessed, chuckling slightly.

With a pang of realization, he released me quickly, his face evidently red. “S-Sorry! I got carried away a bit…”

Seeing his red face made my face grow hot. “N-No, it’s fine. I actually didn’t mind… Um…”

I had to avert my gaze a couple of times, since I felt that the more I looked at him right now, the more my face would redden.

Ven then did the unthinkable and was moving his hand towards my face.

"King Mickey!" A voice shouted.

The voice startled us so much, we both jumped away from each other a bit. Is that a duck?

"Nope, doesn’t look like him," the dog next to him said, but then looked closely at us. "Look! That feller's got the star shard the King borrowed!"

"King? Oh, you must be talking about Mickey," Ven said, standing up with the shard at hand. I stood up seconds after him.

"I saw him..." he tried to continue, but the duck and dog started pushing us towards the tall tower.

"Huh?” I reacted confusedly.

“Hey, take it easy!" Ven said in a struggle.

"Are we glad to see you!" The duck said.

"Come on, let's go!" The dog said.

Okay? That was weird… Anyways, they took us to the highest floor of the tower. In that room was an old man with blue attire and a grey beard. He was sitting on a chair and had a desk in front of him.

"Yen Sid, sir! We just got a clue as to where the King might be!" The dog started saying to the man.

"Ah, Ventus and Akari," Yen Sid said to us.

"Huh?" Ven and I expressed, confused.

"Master Eraqus has told me much about you two. If I am not mistaken, the two of you were ordered to return home," Yen Sid continued.

"Well, sir, we…" Ven started, but was later cut off.

"No matter," Yen Sid said, understanding the situation. "Mickey has difficulty following directions, too."

The two of us laughed sheepishly. Who would have thought that Mickey was like us in that sense?

"Where is this clue to Mickey's whereabouts?" Yen Sid asked.

"I've got it," the duck said, placing the shard that was originally on Ven's hands onto the desk.

"This feller Venquist— Ventilate, Veggie—" the dog started saying.

I started laughing a bit and Ven looked at me a bit embarrassed.

"Just call him Ven!" The duck said.

"Sure, that's what I usually go by," Ven explained.

"Ven had it when he got here," the duck continued.

"Please, explain," Yen Sid said to us.

"I ran into Mickey. But we got sent flying into the light— I don't know where he went," Ven said, disappointing the dog and duck. “He wasn’t in the same world as the one where I found that.”

"As I thought… Mickey has been hurling himself from one world to the next. That explains why I could not discern his location," Yen Sid pointed out.

"You can now, can't you?" The duck asked.

"Yes. I can," Yen Sid affirmed, moving his hands and conjuring a circle of swirling smoke.

We could all see Mickey laying on a dusty lifeless ground, struggling to get up.

"Mickey!" Ven and I exclaimed in shock.

"The King!" the dog and duck exclaimed as well.

The image then faded after showing this revelation.

"What happened? Where'd he go? Is he okay?" The duck asked quickly.

"There is a dark and powerful force that is interfering with my magic," Yen Sid said.

"Just tell us where the King is, Mr. Yen Sid, sir… and me and Donald will go right there and save him!" The dog said, enthusiastically.

"You two? That may not be adequate," Yen Sid said.

"But I'm the captain of the King's royal knights!" The dog said, summoning a shield.

"And I'm his magician!" Donald said, summoning a staff.

"We'll find him. We recognize the place we saw," Ven said.

I nodded. It was the same place Ven and Vanitas faced off and Mickey came along to help out.

"If you go, we'll go with you!" Donald said.

"No, we owe him. Mickey saved us once. And we can't risk putting his friends in danger," Ven said.

"We just want you to be safe," I added on. “We swear to bring him safe and sound, so don’t worry.”

The dog and duck seemed disappointed. I felt kinda bad for them... But we need to help Mickey this time! He's our friend, too.

"Very well, Ventus and Akari. We will leave it to the both of you," Yen Sid affirmed, a smile forming on his face.

Ven and I nodded at Yen Sid, and headed off to find Mickey.

* * *

**Ezra’s POV**

Terra and I made it to some beach over at another world. I was surprisingly taken back by what brought us there: a warm light. How can a world produce such a calming sensation… to the point of reaching the heart?

“Who would have thought such a warm light came from a place like this?” I asked, looking at the setting sun before us, as well as the calming waves that were unhurriedly reaching the shore. 

Terra nodded. “For some reason, it feels welcoming.”

Suddenly, we noticed a star-shaped fruit wash up on shore. I went to pick it up, wanting to examine it a bit more. It had two vivid, green leaves on two of its corners and the fruit itself was a bright yellow. The shape made me recall a similar-looking item. “Terra, don’t you have something in this shape.”

“Yeah, I do,” Terra said, taking out his star-shaped charm. “The friend who gave me this said that she made it similar to a star-shaped fruit. Looks like she meant this one.”

I then looked up towards an island that was nearby and noticed a palm tree that had this type of fruit. Looks like it must have fallen off a while ago.

“Does the fruit hold a special meaning?” I asked.

Terra nodded. “An unbreakable connection.”

Terra then looked over to the island with the palm tree as well. “Mind if we go check that island out?”

“Not at all.”

We then began to walk towards a little shed, which appeared to be connected to the bridge that connected the two islands. All the while, Terra was oddly quiet, even after we entered the shed. He seemed deep in thought.

Once we were outside and crossing the bridge, I had the urge to know what’s wrong. “You look troubled.”

“After everything that’s happened up until now…” Terra began. “I wonder if my friends and I will ever be a team again. It’s as if all the things that once held us together are pushing us further away. And the light… why did it bring us here?”

“Terra—” I began to say, but was interrupted by the sudden shouts of a little boy.

“Hey, slow down!” He shouted as him and his friend ran past us. “Would you just wait for me?”

“Giving up already?” The other boy asked. “Come on, Sora.”

“That’s enough, I can’t run anymore!”

After this exchange, the two little boys sat down on top of the palm tree without a care in the world.

“Light,” Terra said out of the blue.

Following Terra’s line of sight, I noticed that he was looking at one of the little boys. And I could tell right away that he was referring to the silver-haired boy. He just… radiated light.

“Were we guided here in order to meet that boy?” Terra added on.

“Maybe,” I could only say. We were both brought here because of a warm light, and that warm light also radiated from that boy.

Terra then turned to the little shed again. “Let’s let them be.”

With a nod, I agreed and walked back to the little shed with Terra.

As we walked back to the shore, we could hear one of the little boys, the one with brown, spiky hair, shouting happily as he ran from the little island with the palm tree to the dock on the other island.

“Being young and free like that,” I began to say, “kinda reminds me of my training from way back when. They were better times. Well… Almost all of them.”

During my training, Master Eraqus gave me memories that I always cherish. Same goes for her… But Master Xehanort just had to make my last memory there the most painful one yet.

“Ezra, you showed me a memory a while back about Master Xehanort forcing you to stop learning under Master Eraqus,” Terra began to say. “And then a memory after that. But what happened in between?”

“I’m sorry… I’m usually willing to tell you and even show you what happened in my past. But that particular memory…” I shook my head, before my gaze averted from his. “Me disclosing it to you will only make you want to get involved… And I don’t want that.”   
“Ezra…” Terra looked down.

“This,” I said with a sigh, “doesn’t mean I’ll never tell you. It’s just… not good timing. I know it sounds like a vague reason, but please bear with me on this.”

“... I understand,” Terra finally said, making me look back at him. “Just know that I’ll be there for you, even if it means not getting involved.”

Hearing his reassuring words, I managed to smile a bit. “Thanks.”

‘You say that now… but what if you knew what really happened back then? What then?’

Just then, we felt a presence nearby. Looking back, we noticed the little boy with silver hair passing by. He then seemed to notice us and stopped in his tracks to face us.

“Hey,” we heard the silver-haired boy say. “Did you two come from the outside world?”

“Huh? Why would you say that?” Terra asked.

“Because nobody lives out here, and I know you’re both not from the main island,” the boy answered back.

I looked at the boy curiously. It’s impressive how he knows that much at such a young age. Especially something that very little people know about. “Smart kid. So how about you? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, my friend’s dad took us out on the boat. This is where we like to play, but they won’t let us row out here by ourselves, not till we get older,” the boy kicked the sand a bit.

“Must be hard, huh, stuck in one place,” Terra said.

“I heard once there was a kid who left for good,” the boy commented as he walked towards the shore.

For a second, I thought I heard Terra sound a bit confused. I wonder why?

But the kid didn’t notice this sudden reaction from him. “So how did you two get here, anyway?”

“Is there some reason you’re interested in the outside world?” Terra asked to dodge his question, his confusion gone.

“Yeah,” the boy affirmed. “I wanna be strong one day. Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world— I bet he’s really strong now. I know it’s out there somewhere— the strength that I need.”

“Strength for what?” Terra asked.

“To protect the things that matter,” the boy then turned to us with a smile. “You know, like my friends.”

“Strength to protect your friends, huh…?” I felt myself mutter quietly, smiling a bit at the answer. That’s actually a good reason to be strong.

Terra nodded, a smile forming on his face as well. “Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one.”

He then approached the boy and extended his hand, summoning his keyblade and kneeling down in front of him. Flipping the keyblade around, he extended the keyblade’s handle to him. “In your hand, take this key.”

Crossing my arms, I smiled gently. ‘Haven’t seen this ceremony in a while…’

“So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking… its wielder you shall one day be,” Terra continued. “And you will find me, friend— no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.”

The boy then slowly extended his hand and grabbed the keyblade’s handle. But it was moments later that he let go due to his friend calling out to him. So his name’s Riku…

Turning back to see his friend waving at him, Riku waved back.

“You’ve gotta keep this a secret, okay?” Terra told Riku, who looked back at him. “Otherwise, all the magic will wear off.”

After Riku nodded, Terra ruffled his hair before letting him go to his friend.

And it looks like he’s good at keeping secrets, since Sora is trying to get something out of him but with no success.

“Protect the things that matter…” Terra said, motivation in his voice, before rising up.

“It was wise of you to give him the power,” I commented. “I believe that light in his heart is more than worthy of it.”

Terra just nodded at me, before he looked towards the palm tree with the star-shaped fruit. “Thinking things through, he and I share the same reason to be strong… Because, like him, my friends matter to me, too. So, I still have things that I have to protect.”

I could feel my eyes soften as I watched Terra look towards the palm tree with such determination, the captivating sunset shining before us. For some reason, my mind went back to when Tinker Bell’s sparkles were falling over us. Between the accidental flirting and the sparkles falling around him, I couldn’t help but think about the possibility of me seeing him in a new light. And just as the idea makes me feel a sense of excitement… it also worries me.

“As do I,” I could only mutter with a nod, before looking at the star-shaped fruit that was still in my hand. ‘An unbreakable connection… I wonder if—’

I shook my head. ‘I shouldn’t think about that right now… Not now…’

“Terra,” I started to say, which made him look my way, “could you... promise me something?”

“Okay,” Terra said. “What is it?”

I then approached him, before extending a hand to him, my pinky up. “Whatever happens from here on out, promise me you’ll keep a strong mind.”

“Huh? Why the sudden—?”

“Please,” I pleaded. “I know you have a strong heart, but with whatever Xehanort has in store, I… I worry. That’s why I urge you to really consider what I said back at Disney Town: if things are going from bad to worse, let your mind aid you.” 

“Ezra…” Terra said at a loss for words, before he nodded and extended his hand towards mine, our pinkies intertwining. “All right. I’ll keep those words in mind.”

Hearing his response, I felt myself smile.

And it was after this exchange that we decided to leave the world behind us.

* * *

**Stellae’s POV**

After Aqua recovered from her last fight, we decided to head out into the Lanes Between. As we flew on our Keyblade Gliders, a bright light began to shine before us.

“What’s that light?” Aqua asked in amazement.

“Not like any star I’ve ever seen before,” I added.

As we approached the light, we ended up in a world that consisted of islands and beaches. Once we landed on one of the islands, we noticed a little shed that seemed to lead towards some bridge to another island that had a palm tree with star-shaped fruit. 

“Hey, isn’t that…?” I said, gesturing towards the tree.

Aqua looked over to it and smiled. “Who knew it would be here?”

We then decided to enter this little shed and walk across the bridge. Once we reached the tree that caught our eyes, Aqua took out her wayfinder with a frown. “Terra… Ven… Akari… I hope we’re ready for the storm that’s coming.”

“… Kira as well,” I added.

“What? I thought she was back home?” Aqua sounded concerned.

“Looks like she allied herself with Vanitas… Talk about a turn of events.”

“I’ll say…” Aqua said, saddened.

“Hey, wait up!” A voice said. I looked down to the beach and saw two little boys running around. The one that spoke had brown spiky hair and the other had short silver hair.

“Too slow, Sora! See ya at the finish line!” The other little boy said as he ran.

We giggled at the sight. I then turned my gaze towards Aqua. “I feel that we should go say hi. Just a feeling.”

“Why not?” Aqua happily agreed.

When the two of them stopped, we walked over to the center of the bridge and looked over them.

“One more time! You just got lucky,” Sora insisted.

The other little boy noticed our presence right before we decided to jump down from the bridge to reach them. After reaching the ground, we stayed kneeled down to talk to them. And this resulted in Sora scratching the back of his head and laughing sheepishly. ‘These two little boys remind me of Terra and Ven…’

When this thought crossed my mind, I heard Aqua laugh a bit, only to look at me. I just smiled and nodded at her. Looks like great minds think alike.

The two little boys looked at us, confused.

“One of you might be special enough,” I said.

Aqua smiled with a nod. “Hey, you two mind telling us your names?”

“I’m Sora!” The brunet said enthusiastically.

“And you?” Aqua continued.

“Riku,” the other boy said in a calm tone.

I felt that Riku already had the power passed on to him. For some reason I believe it was Terra… And Aqua must have noticed, too, since passing down the power of the keyblade can be sensed by keyblade bearers with strong magic abilities.

“Sora, do you like Riku?” I asked.

“Of course I like him, he’s my best friend!”

“Good. So then, if something happens, and Riku is about to get lost— or say, he starts wandering down a dark path alone— you make sure to stay with him and keep him safe. That’s your job, Sora, and we’re counting on you to do it, okay?” Aqua said, before patting them on the head with a slight laugh.

Sora and Riku then headed back to the docks, where their boats were located, and we headed back up to the little island with the palm tree. Once we reached the island once again, we sat next to each other on the tree’s trunk.

“One keyblade is enough… for any friendship,” I listened to Aqua say. “We learned it the hard way. I wouldn’t wish our lives on those children.”

_ Both hearts shine bright… Both children will overcome the challenge… They will show their worth… Their hearts in tune… And the path of the key will be their destiny…  _

I smiled, the clarity of the message making me feel more at ease. “Who knows if one is enough, though? Maybe… maybe another key will strengthen their bond?”

I then looked up, not knowing why this thought gave me hope. “That little boy, Sora… I feel that he’s gonna do great things… And Riku, too. No matter what the future holds, they’ll always have each other's backs.”

“The stars must be talking a lot about those two,” Aqua noted.

“Yes, but that’s also me agreeing with them. Just looking at those two gives me a sense of hope, y’know?” I said, looking over to her before looking down. I took out my wayfinder and contemplated it for a moment. “After all that’s happened… Sometimes I ask what’s to become of us? All of us? So much stuff has happened and I don’t even know anymore…”

“I sometimes wonder about that, too…” Aqua said, taking out her wayfinder as well. “I just want everyone to be safe… But who knows what might happen?”

“Yeah…” I said, before trying to lighten up the mood. “At least the two of us have managed to keep up a supportive yet butt-kicking team.”

“Right,” Aqua smiled a bit, before placing one hand on top of mine. “As long as we support each other every step of the way and have each other’s backs, everything will be okay.”

I smiled, feeling her hand on mine. This comforting feeling I get from Aqua whenever I’m with her… why does it seem to give me a sense of peace? And not only that: I feel that there’s something more to this… especially after what happened with Terra back in Radiant Garden. I can’t seem to put my finger on it but… for some reason, me being with Aqua like this makes me feel something that Terra never managed to make me feel. And curious enough: I don’t mind it.

I flipped my hand up so that I was holding her hand instead. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Aqua then squeezed my hand gently. “Ever at your side.”

I felt my heart skip a beat ever so briefly, listening to her say that with such a fond voice as she held my hand in such a delicate way. It’s as if I… Wow, so that’s what it is…?

I nodded with a gentle smile, a warm sensation reaching my cheeks ever so briefly. “Forevermore and will never let you go.”

_ Danger approaching— Hurry to him— _

Huh? What are they—?

_ Darkness is near… Your home and loved ones at stake… A certain demise is upon us… _

I felt sudden shivers down my spine, my eyes widening as I placed my free hand on the side of my head.

“Stellae, what’s wrong?” Aqua asked worriedly.

“Aqua, something’s bad is about to happen back home…” I said, placing the hand that is on my head against my chest. “It involves my father and I haven’t felt anything like this before.”

“Then let’s go check things out,” Aqua said, letting go of my hand as she stood up.

“… Sorry, I think I need to check things for myself this time around,” I said, getting off the tree and facing her and looking down slightly. “You keep searching for Ven and Akari.”

“And Kira,” Aqua said, saddened.

“Right…” I said, my voice taking a sad turn as well.

I was about to summon my armor but hesitated. “Will you be alright splitting up for a bit?”

She nodded. “Don’t worry. We’re masters after all.”

I smiled a bit. “Then I won’t be long. I’ll come find you after I check what’s going on.”

Summoning my keyblade glider and armor, I left the islands and dashed towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff is slowly coming to light... and even more will be revealed soon! So stay tuned:)


End file.
